premiere@relative-values.com Done!I told them to include interviews with the stars esp. CF. Maybe they'll do an interactive..... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ (cheryl) still say CF should be thankful he wasn't in Jordan's adaptation of "The End of the Affair". It blew. It was one of 1999's worst films with artistic intent. It missed. Do I detect a little "IMO" missing here?;-) The New York Times and I liked it

(ShewhowantsColinonBroadway) Frankly,I Don't Care if the British public runs over women and children to get home...empties the pubs...to look at him on TV. Pffftttt! However, I have a feeling he'll be supported as long as he's playing a character with the name 'Darcy'. IMO. IMVHO. ;-P

New article in The Independent done as part of the Relative Values publicity. Mentions RV and Bridget: There's no escaping Mr Darcy By Carol McDaid Colin Firth hates the whole 'Darcy business' but looks set to revive it by appearing as Mark Darcy, opposite Ren�e Zellweger, in Bridget Jones's Diary. What's he playing at? At a sedate drinks party, I mention to a poised mother of two that I'm going to interview Colin Firth. "Oh, God, that shirt, those trousers," she moans, sitting back into a bowl of assorted nuts. A friend says: "Something deep in my soul is moved by the man." (Her wedding is soon.) Another friend e-mails a request: "Will he sleep with me? But in Mr Darcy garb? I'd hate to get off with Nick Hornby." Poor Colin Firth. Will he ever be free of that shirt, those trousers? The "pond scene" of 1995's Pride and Prejudice (intense, sullen Mr Darcy douses his quietly scorching desire for Miss Bennet, then bumps into her) recently made it into Channel 4's Top 100 TV Moments, between Death on the Rock and the Gulf war. Firth, 40 in September, got rave reviews last year for Three Days of Rain at the Donmar; has appeared in A Month in the Country, The English Patient and Shakespeare in Love; played any number of aristocrats ("I have never been inside a stately home in any other circumstances," he tells me) plus Nick Hornby (Fever Pitch). Yet in most minds � female ones anyway � he is still striding towards Pemberley, clutching a riding crop and half his clothes: damp, magnificent. We meet in a dark, panelled room in Soho House, the London media haunt that could easily double up for a spot of costume drama. Unlike Mr Darcy, Firth lopes in, tanned and casual, though the sideburns remain impressive. He is perfectly polite but has been doing interviews all day; the words "under" and "duress" hover in the gloom (outside the sky is bright blue), and the publicity woman is holding her watch like a stopwatch. Also, Arsenal are playing in the Uefa Cup on telly in a couple of hours, and Firth, I later discover, is going to watch the match round at a friend's house. I plan to avoid the D-word for at least 10 minutes. He is here to promote Relative Values, an adaptation of No�l Coward's play shot last August in an old nunnery on the Isle of Man. The comedy is needlessly hammed up, though Sophie Thompson is a revelation, and Firth, as the twinkling, camp Cowardy character, manages to sit around smoking, reading the paper and getting the best lines. He chased the part. "I wanted to occupy that position," he says in that well-groomed voice, "as a kind of impish commentator and schemer." The opposite of intense and sullen, in fact. His co-conspirator in the film is the long-lost, radiant Julie Andrews, as his aunt. "She was fantastic," Firth says, possibly not for the first time today. "She was a company leader in the traditional sense. She wanted people to be comfortable. If there was a birthday, she would celebrate it in style. There was this sense that we were working with a legend." Ten minutes are up. I will have to mention Mr Darcy. Not least because the next morning, Firth is to start filming Bridget Jones's Diary, in which he will play the "v. eligible bachelor" Mark Darcy, the Helen Fielding character inspired by the Jane Austen character as played by Colin Firth. "I'd read the columns in The Independent," he says. "There are certain things that I didn't identify with � weight and boyfriends � but I did think it was very funny and I think the script's very funny as well. I wouldn't be doing it if I didn't. And it's got a very good cast [notably Hugh Grant]. I wouldn't have done it just to be symmetrical about the Darcy thing." Unsurprisingly, he is not ecstatic about discussing the Darcy thing or, more sinister still, "the Darcy business". But somehow he cannot stop himself: "I do feel that I am talking about something which I know nothing about," he explains, sinking further into his small, battered armchair. "It honestly doesn't mean anything to me." And later: "I don't have anything to do with anything I did six years ago. I don't know if you remember how you spent your summer of '94, but that's how I spent my summer of '94, and that's about it." He protests too much: the Darcy business is karmic; there is no escape. For her Bridget Jones sequel, The Edge of Reason, Helen Fielding "interviewed" Firth over lunch (he could always have said no). She pretended to be Bridget filing for The Independent; he pretended to be "a rather serious actor", a cross between himself and Mr Darcy, someone impatient to finish an interview. The resulting transcript is one of the best bits in the book. And now, to prepare for his current Darcy incarnation, Firth has tapped into the Austen original. "I actually went to look at a bit of Pride and Prejudice for the first time in five years," he owns up; "partly because of the Bridget Jones thing. I'm not playing Mr Darcy but I am aware there's a reference involved and I was just curious again to see if I could understand what the fuss was about." And can he? "Not really. It's an intoxicating story. The language is wonderful. I think it's [big intake of breath] very romantic, beautifully structured, and the actors do a good job." Chiefly Jennifer Ehle, whom Firth fell for off screen, too. Though people don't think Jennifer Ehle: Elizabeth Bennet. "No. She won a Bafta for it. [He didn't.] Darcy is the romantic destiny. She's the one you're meant to identify with." Given that he's the role model, does he feel any responsibility towards Darcy II? "Yes, in a way." He pauses. "No, I think I've had to create him as something specific in my mind, as unique as possible. He's based on lots of people I know." Playing the Ur-Darcymaniac Bridget is the Texan actress Ren�e Zellweger, a controversial choice (Fielding is said to have been furious) for a character who hails from Northamptonshire. "Ren�e, yes. Well I've been in that situation too, in A Thousand Acres, where I had to be an American in front of American actors. It's er, yeah, it is, it's mortifying." It's hard to know if he is being tactful. Given that he is so famously English, America is "a very big part" of Firth's life. His mother grew up there; his sister married an American. He spent a miserable year in Missouri as a boy; five more in the wilds of British Columbia with Valmont co-star Meg Tilly, where they had Will, now nine, who lives in LA. Firth is an assiduous transatlantic dad, but, otherwise, Hollywood holds no appeal: "I feel more connected to London. I like the multiculturalism, the fact that it's accepted here, despite the attempts to make it less so � Hague wanting to lock 'em all up, and unfortunately the Home Office not far behind." As for the work: "Here you can have a wonderful career without being in the big time. It's just not where the emphasis lies." He hastily adds that obviously it's all right for him to say that; he's never been out of work, a fact he puts down to luck and being "sort of down the middle". As in: "I'm not enormously fat, I don't have gigantic ears, or a bizarre, squeaky voice or an incredibly rich, boomy voice. And I come from a family background [both parents are academics] that means I've got the education and articulacy to argue my way into things." I ask which young actors he admires, now he's nearly 40 ("I feel like a bizarre genetic experiment that's gone wrong � it's all happened far too quickly"). He perks up. "I've been thinking about this constantly recently," he says. "Joaquin Phoenix is one � River's brother. I noticed him right from the start and I think he's absolutely brilliant. I think River was brilliant, too. And I'm not using his first name because I know him," he adds, editing himself, "but ecause we've already used his surname." He then says: "I do know Joaquin, actually," and, head back, obligingly tries to reel off Joaquin's movies: "Gladiator, To Die For, Return to Paradise, Inventing the Abbotts..." Firth's other favourite is better known: "I think DiCaprio's fantastic; I think he's got incredible skill in front of the camera. I just think he's very real. The thing I admire most is when you just look at someone's eyes and you're convinced, far more than the pyrotechnics. It's what you see here", he says, pointing to his own famously eloquent eyes, "that's impressive." When in Rome, home town of his wife, Livia Giuggioli, Firth does as the Romans do. "This," he says, hitting the inside of his elbow with the side of his hand, "means, 'Let's get out of here'. That [brushing his hand under his chin] means, 'Who gives a shit?'" I suspect he may have been thinking as much for the past 40 minutes. So you wave your arms around? "Well, yeah, I quite like that." His voice brightens. "I'm not necessarily so restrained in my life. That's just something I've been asked to do as an actor, on film." He starts eating nibbles, warming to his theme now that our time is up. "I mean, the first theatre job I ever did, Another Country, was Guy Bennett, who was about as flamboyantly gay as a character could get. I can still remember my performance being called 'elasticated'. It's not my condition to be restrained. You do it once and you get asked to do it again, and off we go..." 'Relative Values' is released 23 June ********** Will post at Bucket... Ladies, there would have to be pictures with this? Right?

OK, article is up http://www.spring.net/karenr/articles/independent060900.html and a few paragraphs appear on the Bridget page I don't know if you remember how you spent your summer of '94, but that's how I spent my summer of '94, and that's about it." Don't take it personally, Evelyn ;-)

We have today's "Independent" at work....my advice to all UK-ers..Go buy! Great half page photo of CF, looking, I imagine, as he will as MD. Hair not too big!

What a great artcle, thanks, Karen! They finally got Livia's last name right! "This," he says, hitting the inside of his elbow with the side of his hand, "means, 'Let's get out of here'. No! That means, 'Up yours!' Hitting the palm of your hand on the side of your other hand means, 'Let's get out of here'. (He is allowed one mistake) ;-) Joaquin Phoenix is on the cover of one of the entertainment magazines (I think EW), and he looks fantastic.

Yippee, I have tickets for the RV Premiere on the 21st June, can't wait.

Apparently there is another big article on Colin in the Evening Standard magazine today. Two-page spread, photos, entitled Don't Call Me Darcy. Karen, thanks for the Independent article. Ann, congrats on the RV tickets!

Great article ...At least he's not whining and we didn't have to hear about the traumatizing childhood.... "I don't know if you remember how you spent your summer of '94, but that's how I spent my summer of '94, and that's about it." (Karen)Don't take it personally, Evelyn ;-) ......or the Jennifer saga. Thank you Colin ,Independent and Karen. This should rally pull 'em in to RV.....I can see them flocking now. ~~~~~ Thanks Moon for all the hand signal translations. Congrats Ann on the tickets!

You should have a RV-filled weekend of material from the press junket. Here's something off the PA wire: Jeanne treasures British film-making experience Hollywood beauty Jeanne Tripplehorn has men falling at her feet in her latest period romp Relative Values - and confesses to loving every second of the experience. The feisty brunette, who tried to unlock cop Michael Douglas's mind in Basic Instinct, was also the object of desire for John Lynch in Sliding Doors and Hugh Grant in the Mafia yarn Mickey Blue Eyes. In the new screen version of Noel Coward's vision of upper crust Britain in the Fifties she is pursued by Edward Atterton - Salma Hayek's real-life [ex]boyfriend - and William Baldwin. She plays self-indulgent movie siren Miranda Frayle who gets herself engaged to Nigel, the Earl of Marshwood (Atterton) but is also coveted by her old flame Don Lucas (Baldwin). The glittering cast list includes Julie Andrews, making her screen comeback, Colin Firth, Stephen Fry and Stephanie Beacham. [WOT??] Jeanne, a 35-year-old bachelor girl from Tulsa, Oklohoma, says: "I just gasped when I looked around me because of the quality of the actors involved. "Though I have done a lot of stage work in America I really felt out of my depth to start with. Almost everyone apart from William and myself are used to dealing with this kind of so British material. "The whole experience was absolutely fascinating and so different from working in Hollywood. I felt so popular as well being chased by Edward and William. What more could a girl ask for?" The film, which was made on the Isle of Man, is being released in the UK on June 23. ********** "Though I have done a lot of stage work in America... I don't think high school plays in Tulsa should count. ;-)

Great article in the ES magazine. Fabulous pictures. Sadly no time to post more as am rushing out. Sorry!!! Will do so when I can unless someone else - Tracy, Mark, can get a copy.

LOL! Oh, you're gonna love this one! Here's Part 1 of the ES article; many many thanks to FoF Martine. ******* MR DARCY MAKES A COMEBACK After six years trying to live down his love-god status acquired in BBC's Pride and Prejudice, Colin Firth is playing another Darcy - in the new Bridget Jones film. Victoria Coren corners him in Soho. DON'T CALL ME DARCY Six years after P&P, Colin firth's love-god status rages on. Never mind that he plays a gay character in his new film Relative Values. Adoring female fans are more interested in his forthcoming role: the brooding love interest in Bridget Jones's Diary. Just don't mention the wet shirt, says Victoria Coren. On the internet, there is a countdown to Colin Firth's birthday. Like the millenium clocks last year, except with a little more salivating love, it currently reads, '93 DAYS TO COLIN'S BIRTHDAY!' We are also informed that he shares his birthday with Amy Irving, that Nastassja Kinski married on his bithday in 1984, and we go on to read everything that has ever been written about Colin Firth, said by Colin Firth or done near Colin Firth; links to a staggering number of other web pages called things things like 'Firth Frenzy!', and what Malcolm McDowell once said about Colin Firth in an interview (nothing terribly interesting). This is a site which is updated *daily*. Somebody out there really love this guy. It even includes, without irony, a quote from Firth a year ago: 'There is too much information out there. I don't think it is appropriate to be peering into what others are doing all the time.' But never mind that; it's only 93 days till his birthday! Can't wait to find out which underpants he wears on the day. On 10 September, Colin Firth will be 40. There is no sign that the internet clockposter is disappointed by this milestone. Firth's blueprint fan would be about 34, professional, middle class, still single (essentially, she would be Bridget Jones) and Firth's sexy authority will only increase as he turns a respectable 40. 'OK!' magazine has officially labelled him a 'SAGO' - Sexier As they Get Older - albeit in the slighly unflattering company of fellow SAGOs Linford Christie and Bono. Authority is crucial because his devoted fans are those who intentify him (of course) with Mr Darcy. Anyone - any *man* - who is baffled by the adoration danced on this fairly normal-looking English actor should remember that that Mr Darcy was more than just another costume drama heart-throb. He was an island of masculinity in a post-feminist world; a summary of everything yearned for by a certain sort of woman adrift among tearful, quichebaking men; a vision of dark, brooding, monosyllabic reserve on a big horse. A million hearts fluttered as he plunged, fully clad, into that infamous lake; and let a million teeth gnash when I tell you that Colin Firth volunteered to play that scene naked but the broadcaster wouldn't allow it. Complaints to the BBC at the usual White City address, please. Never mind the Queen Mother's birthday; they also rejected the offer of Colin Firth's bare rump! Fools, the lot of them, and fools with our money. Although it could be argued that the soaked clothes were even more seductive: Firth explains now, sensibly over a nice cup of tea in a Soho members' club, that, 'That the Darcy fantasy is the idea of the raw, pulsating animal qualities lurking underneath the stuffed-shirt qualities. Hence the interest in the wet shirt, which starts to reveal that which is imagined to be underneath.' Darcy's symbolic power is what guarantees Firth's continuing love-god status some six years later. Nobody minds that he's more usualy to be found playing someone gay (his first big break on satge in Another Country; his latest film Relative Values) or cuckolded (The English Patient, Shakespeare in Love) - or indeed that the Daily Mirror tried to scupper his 19th-century sex symbolism during Pride and Prejudice by publishing an unflattering photo of Colin arriving home with a new Hoover. Nobody cared. They just thought, 'Ooh, look at his muscles clenches around that Hoover.' Actually, for my money, Another Country provided Firth's sexiest roles by far (Guy Bennett on stage, then Tommy Judd in the film). Who wants an old-fashioned Strong Silent Darcy when they could have a handsome, vulnerable public schoolboy lost in aworld of sexual confusion? Well, just about everyone else, I suppose. Irresistible, heterosexual machismo is what the nation associates with Mr Firth; hence its delight when he finally confirmed as Mark Darcy in the new Bridget Jones film. Mark Darcy is the character inspired by Pride and Prejudice - his blueprint fan really *is* Bridget Jones. Bridget even went to interview him on set in Rome, disguised as author Helen Fielding, and followed him everywhere until he said: 'I'm going to have to go on alone from here; it's the men's toilet.' ------------------------------------ (... to be continued)

Part 2 of 3, from ES: Firth's first project after Pride and Prejudice aired was Fever Pitch, in which (as Nick Hornby said) 'the man famous for smouldering in a wet white shirt was forced to wear lurid Arsenal boxer shorts and shout swear words out of windows'. 'It's a great irony ,' says Firth, who lives in Barnsbury and is the son teachers, 'that people characterised Fever Pitch as big stretch, asking if I had o do a lot of research to transform myself into this middle-class football fan from North London. I was even wearing some of my own old clothes in the film! Yet that was considered a bigger stretch than playing someone who lived 200 years ago and who was the richest man in England. As if it would come very naturally to me, by virtue of my birth, to play the owner of Pemberley in Derbyshire and ride around on a horse.' He acknowledges that class is a key determinant for any English actor's career. 'Actors are channelled into class categories very quickly. I'm lower middle class really, but I was identified immediately with the upper end of the system and I've benefited enormously from it. Even so, I've noticed critics give more credibility to the working-class end because they like things to "have an edge". And this seems to come from a lot of cosy middle-class people who'll run to the National Film Theatre to see a Tarantino film where everyone's brains get blown out and they use the n-word for black people. I'm getting a bit weary of the "edge" thing.' In terms of the watching public, Firth says, 'I think class has screwed us up quite badly, and we have a very confused take on our class archetypes. The upper classes are romanticised if we turn them into a fairy tale of the past, but otherwise loathed. There's a fascination with the world of champagne and white flannels and Brideshead, but very few examples where the upper class today is looked at with any romance.' The new film Relative Values, is one such champagne-and-romance vision; Firth plays the camp and witty nephew of the countess of Marchwood (Juile Andrews) in Noel Coward's drawing-room comedy. Thus he suspects that critics will not credit it with 'an edge', although it might be argued that actors are never happy: Michael Caine grumbled rather grudgingly at the Bafta awards that critics only respect posh actors never Cockney ones. Of this opposite view, Firth says, 'I'm not in Michael Caine's position so I can't judge, but I agree there's a stark contrast between England and Los Angeles. Americans make no distinction between English actors; they can't tell the difference between Michael Caine and Pirnce Charles. We're all Prince Charles to them.' When in Los Angeles, it's a relief to hear that Firth doesn't run around with the English set there (the Liz Hurleys, William Cashes and Henry Dent-Brocklehursts). He goes to LA specifically to visit his nine-year-old son Will, born of a romantic fews years living in the forests of British Columbia with a lot of grizzly bears and Meg Tilly. (Meg Tilly was his co-parent, of course. Not the bears. Obviously.) Firth is now married to Livia Guiggioli, an Italian film-maker described by Nick Hornby as 'joke-perfect: PhD, beautiful in that sultry Italian way, funny and vivacious.' Damn. Half the British nation is obsessed with his romantic status, and he told one interviewer that, 'We had the Diana experience leading up to the wedding in Rome' - by which I assume he meant that the paparazzi would not let up, rather than that his fianc�e caught him whispering epithets down the phone to Camilla Parker Bowles. _________________________ (....to be continued)

Part 3 of 3, from the sore-fingered Martine.;-) It's a cosmopolitan life: the boy whose parents travelled between India and Africa, and who went to school in Winchester and St Louis, Missouri, now has an Italian wife and a Canadian son who lives in America. He doesn't mind that his son won't grow up on the Highbury terraces in the rain because 'I'm not territorial-minded' and this is reflected in his politics. During our conversation I found myself in the slightly surreal position of chatting with 'Mr Darcy' about asylum seekers. 'Our perceptions of people shouldn't be based on where they're born, and compassion shouldn't stop with national borders. There's only about 98,000 people seeking asylum, which can be made to sound like a very big figure, but only in the way that a "�150,000 flat" can sound like so much when in London it's actually nothing. We're talking aboout a substantial football crowd in a country of 55 million.' And yet Colin Firth is so English, and so closely identified with Englishness on screen: the accent, the reserve and (possibly his strongest quality) the ability to be sardonic, a word which I believe does not translate into any other language. His Englishness seems unaffected by geography or family. I'm reminded of an old Jeremy Hardy stand-up routine, where Hardy talked about his adopted baby daughter who was not born in this country, and people asking him whether he thought her 'national traits' would come out later 'as if a baby born in England but brought up exclusively in Spain by Spanish parents would wake up one morning and say: "Ooh, very mild today. Still best wear a cardigan".' Hardy was being sarcastic, and I'm paraphrasing his words, yet it rings oddly true of Colin Firth. He's affectionate about his English roots: 'Beyond that famous English reserve lies incredible loyalty, and I cherish the English capacity for Friendship. Other places have more apparent accessibility, but after five years you've got no further than you did on the first exchange.' At the end of Another Country, Guy Bennett is asked what he misses most about England, the country he betrayed. All he can reply is 'the cricket'. Firth misses the cricket too, when he's away, but most of all he misses the comedy. 'Sometimes I come back and I've entirely missed a phenomenon - like Vic Reeves or Harry Enfield. This time round it was Ali G, which I then caught up on and thought was hilarious. The English in general are brilliant at laughing at themselves and their country, and there's nothing more pleasing in person - starting with yourself is the root of all humour. When I've been in comedies, I've tended to be the butt of the joke. In Shakespeare in Love [where he played Lord Wessex, the heroine's unloved fianc�] my function was to be the one guy who lacks poetry, romance and humour - all the things that the film celebrates. It's an important comic function, and having a sense of one's own ridiculousness is something that keeps me sane.' I assume his friends must have laughed when he was galloping around on Mr Darcy's horse? 'Oh, they laughed themselves to death. And they continue to. The contrasts to that character are quite extreme if you see me daily over breakfast.' Well, I'd be happy to give it a try. It remains to be seen how much Mr Darcy will be sent up in the character of Mark Darcy in Bridget Jones's Diary. Very much an actor, if an unusually clever and articulate one, Firth insists that, 'I have to forget his origins and play him as a character in his own right.' The day after our meeting is the first day of filming: 'It's a scene where I meet Bridget by the dustbins,' Lucky old Bridget. ---------------------------------------- END

Thanks, Mari and martine, I enjoyed reading this very much.

Mari...you are a gem to bring this to your Drool friends...and thank Martine too.Thankfully, the author hasn't found Drool....but I feel they're closing in on us....anybody else get that feeling??? Today I called JE's agent to offer a PAL tape of all of JE's US interviews, I told her about all the SUNSHINE reviews..."when will you have them on the website", she wanted to know!! We might have to go undercover. Never mind the Queen Mother's birthday; they[BBC] also rejected the offer of Colin Firth's bare rump! Fools, the lot of them, and fools with our money. BIG sense of humor here....OK...along with DQ release...let's complain about rejecting the bare rump... LOL He's more adventurous than I thought...;-)

Karen, wasn't the dustbin scene in "The Edge of Reason", perhaps they are using bits from both books.

I'm not going to list names because you know who you are, but I want to say thank you to all for researches and alerts, finding, typing, scanning, posting articles and pictures, scene of crime reports, and keeping up excellent (news-)webpages. You are doing great team work: the Firth-net at it's best ;-))

Mari and Martine, I thank you for that very pleasant read. He was clearly in a better mood that day than in the previous article. But I always find it funny that the interviewers are drooling all over him as well. What a hoot! He is contagious, this Firth person ;-)

Oh...and Karen...I forgot Karen! :-) You're a peach for The Independent article. I would never get to read them otherwise. Is it me, or was he sounding out of sorts?

All the interviews ("smelling the coffee", the Independent and the ES) were given in the same location - Soho House. I'm wondering if they were done back to back, released at different times? Thanks for the ES interview, Mari and Martine, and for the Independent alert, Karen! Mark Darcy seems to be the role that the Fleet Street ladies are eagerly awaiting (aren't we all!). Very much an actor, if an unusually clever and articulate one That's quite an endorsement from Victoria Coren. She's a very smart ex-Oxbridge journalist...daughter of Alan Coren, a well known humorist, political commentator, editor of Punch magazine etc. From her, "clever" means "clever"! The huge photo in the Independent is very droolable. Have copy, can't scan.

On the internet, there is a countdown to Colin Firth's birthday. Like the millenium clocks last year, except with a little more salivating love, it currently reads, '93 DAYS TO COLIN'S BIRTHDAY!' What a hoot! Haven't found this site yet (and I don't think I'm gonna try.) Great articles, ladies. Thanks all! Wonderful to see so much publicity. Great fun to pick out all the misinformation. Grizzly bears indeed. (Karen re Relative Values) Stephanie Beacham. [WOT??] Maybe she's playing Lady Hayling? Or perhaps reprising her Dynasty role? Ann, can't wait to hear about the premiere. This is what, your third?

From the ES Magazine Article: On the internet, there is a countdown to Colin Firth's birthday. Like the millenium clocks last year, except with a little more salivating love, it currently reads, '93 DAYS TO COLIN'S BIRTHDAY!' We are also informed that he shares his birthday with Amy Irving, that Nastassja Kinski married on his bithday in 1984, and we go on to read everything that has ever been written about Colin Firth, said by Colin Firth or done near Colin Firth; links to a staggering number of other web pages called things like 'Firth Frenzy!', and what Malcolm McDowell once said about Colin Firth in an interview (nothing terribly interesting). This is a site which is updated *daily*. Somebody out there really love this guy. It even includes, without irony, a quote from Firth a year ago: 'There is too much information out there. I don't think it is appropriate to be peering into what others are doing all the time.' But never mind that; it's only 93 days till his birthday! Can't wait to find out which underpants he wears on the day. ************************** Well, now that I'm a laughing stock to everyone who reads the Evening Standard in the UK, I am ready to bury my head in the sand, or fight back! Here I thought I was overseeing a fairly serious fan page, and it turns out I give this dame, Victoria Coren, visions of underwear and silliness. All I can do is hope and pray Colin does not read the article -- fat chance, I know. If I were Livia, I'd have great fun reading portions out loud to him. I have my response to Ms. Coren on the news page http://www.geocities.com/firthfan/news2.html Also, on a more pleasant note, the wonderful pictures are now up, again thanks to Martine: http://www.geocities.com/firthfan/indepen2.html

Murph, I wouldn't take what Victoria Coren writes too seriously....this is how she always writes, tongue in cheek, sending everyone up.(As I said, her dad is/was the editor of "Punch") Nothing malicious intended. You have a first-rate (and serious) site, which is absolutely invaluable for pulling together all the latest news, and more, about Colin. I'm sure that a lot of ES readers are at this very moment searching for your site, and giving thanks!

I've just re-read what Victoria Coren wrote, and I can see why you wouldn't like it, Murph. It's very flippant. Particularly the last bit. But that *is* her style of writing, and I hadn't realised how offensive it could sometimes appear to be.

(CF) The English in general are brilliant at laughing at themselves and their country, and there's nothing more pleasing in person - starting with yourself is the root of all humour. When I've been in comedies, I've tended to be the butt of the joke. \...\ It's an important comic function, and having a sense of one's own ridiculousness is something that keeps me sane.'    Aww, c'mon Murph, we need you sane ... desperately!!    She sounded like she was taking the sites collectively, and was not always referring to just yours. And you've got to admit, he's got some "interesting" admirers out there!!    It all sounded like it was done in admiration, not malice. Let's take a cue from ODB and be brilliant at laughing at ourselves. We all need it! ;-D KJ

(AnnW) Karen, wasn't the dustbin scene in "The Edge of Reason", perhaps they are using bits from both books. I don't think so. It was when he encountered her outside waiting for the dustbin to ring (for Tom's cellphone.) Daniel subsequently came by. Wasn't that in BJD1? (Gosh it's so easy to get confused once you've read both.)

KJ: I am usually the first to find humor in something, but this time she just got to me. I will probably think things over and tone down my response, maybe even poke a little fun back at her. The pictures, as I said, are something else though. Thanks.

(Murph) Well, now that I'm a laughing stock to everyone who reads the Evening Standard in the UK, Oh, bite your tongue! I am ready to bury my head in the sand, or fight back! I vote for fight back...in one way or another ;-) I understand the feeling. You work arduously on a project and then someone you don't even know, who can't bother to do any real in-depth research, pokes fun at you. Actually, I felt that she was poking fun at all us Colin obsessives, and just mentioned items from your site to underscore it. Since the length of time remaining until Colin's birthday is such an issue to her, I think we should email a reminder of the countdown every day ;-p Well, maybe that's taking things a bit too far...but you know what I mean...

Thanks, Nan, I do know! I have calmed down and figure that even if she doesn't, I know what all of us do to try to make the man more visible to the rest of the world (she forgets there are quite a few of us outside the UK, where his news is still sparse!). The birthday thing might be a bit much. I really used it because I found a neat java applet for it! I don't think I'll change anything, though. I'm a stubborn Irish Lady in this regard.

Murph, my sweet, don't get mad; get even. Since she apparently has you pegged as the "blueprint fan, age 34, single, etc., etc., just like BJ" . . .how about if Bridget answers her, sending a copy to Ms. Coren as well as the featues editor of the Standard? Sample entries could include: June 9, 8 a.m. Weight: none of your damn business; cigarettes: none; age: 67; mood: terrific! Internet friend in England advises that new article on Mr. Darcy is in Evening Standard. Can't wait to scan and put on web page. June 9, 10 a.m. Still 67. Friend has e-mailed article. V. v. confusing, as article is on Colin Firth, not Mr. Darcy. Chuckle over writer's account of CF Internet site with clock countdown to birthday, obviously designed by poor, obsessive, Bridget Jones-like person. June 9, 10:05 a.m. Age: still 67 and aging by the minute; cigarettes: none, but am ready to resume vile habit. Have read full article and have realized that Internet site referenced is mine! GAH! Writer has zeroed in on one bit of silliness (bloody clock) and ignored rest. Where is my lovingly-researched Shakespeare In Love page complete with description of the era's dress, the actors, the Globe Theatre? Where? Where?? Obsessive thoughts about Colin Firth and entire British public reading article and no longer wishing to speak to me: 1,627. June 9, 10:10 a.m. Obsessive thoughts about Colin Firth and entire British public reading article and no longer wishing to speak to me: 926 (making v.g. progress). Have realized that Colin Firth and entire British public have never spoken to me anyway, so what is bloody use in being upset. June 9, 10:20 a.m. Have decided to call Evening Standard and ask to speak to Ms. Coren. Will need to disguise voice so sound like 34-year old, hip, singleton Londoner instead of 67-year-old grandmother from New Jersey. Right. Not sure can pull this off, but decide if Renee Zellweger can do it, so can I. And so forth and so on. Of course, Ms. Coren won't be there to take "Bridget's call" so you can make gazillions of *69 calls to see if she rang back while you were out. You get the idea, Murph. They might even print it.;-)

(Murph) I really used it because I found a neat java applet for it! I don't think I'll change anything, though. LOL! How well I know the feeling of finding a great toy and finding a place to use it ;-) I'm a stubborn Irish Lady in this regard. Good for you! Murph, my sweet, don't get mad; get even. Now that's what I want to hear ;-D Since she apparently has you pegged as the "blueprint fan, age 34, single, etc., etc., just like BJ" Well, she can just kiss my blueprint ;-p Oh, wait a minute...I *am* 34, single, etc., etc... Hmmm.... . . .how about if Bridget answers her, sending a copy to Ms. Coren as well as the featues editor of the Standard? Sample entries could include: LMAO!! Mari, that was priceless. Remind me to call you the next time I need to slap the crap out of someone ;-D

Thanks, Mari (and Martine), for posting the article. (CF) I'm lower middle class really Huh? Had no idea your class structure was that severe? How many million dollars/pounds does he need to make in a year to move up? ;-) I hate to think where I'd fall. Gaah! (CF) Americans make no distinction between English actors; they can't tell the difference between Michael Caine and Pirnce Charles. We're all Prince Charles to them.' How did he know Mari about you saying, "What's it all about, Alfie?" to Prince Charles at the Albery (after you pawed him)? (AnnW) wasn't the dustbin scene in "The Edge of Reason", perhaps they are using bits from both books Absolutely, it was TEOR. Chapter 10 is entitled "Mars and Venus in the Dustbin." That dustbin story was Fielding's stock example of a situation suggested by a friend of hers that she used. They might be using bits from the other book, but certainly not the plotline. Waiting for the dustbin to ring happens after they've broken up. Hysterical response, Mari. v.v.good.

Great articles, thanks! "...an unflattering photo of Colin arriving home with a new Hoover. Nobody cared. They just thought, 'Ooh, look at his muscles clenches around that Hoover.' " Now there`s a photo that I would like to see :D

Firth's blueprint fan would be about 34, professional, middle class, still single In the words of Janice from Friends "Oh...MY...Gahd!" You and me both Nan, now I know what is is to feel pigeonholed ;-D *Sob* for the first Friday in weeks didn't get the ES mag....still faint heart never won fair Firth-pic - I'm on the case and will see if I can procure one from my sources!

Gah italics!

(Evelyn) Do I detect a little "IMO" missing here?:-) The New York Times and I liked it. My opinions are never little. I'm such a pretentious twit. As opinions go, Film Comment, Sight and Sound, and I didn't like it. That's what makes film going, you find what you like.

Thanks to all for this article! 'Sometimes I come back and I've entirely missed a phenomenon - like Vic Reeves or Harry Enfield. This time round it was Ali G, which I then caught up on and thought was hilarious. Does this mean he has a TV now? ;-) Why does he insist on saying he is lower middle class? Should I remind him of the frappe? ;-)))

(Moon) Why does he insist on saying he is lower middle class? Should I remind him of the frappe? ;-))) You know he was talking about his origins, my dear. I'm sure all the Firths, Firths senior included, have climbed the economic ladder since. The frappe indicates that his lower-middle-classness has been contaminated, but genetically, he will probably still be true to his origins. Mari, you must publish that reply. Either that or slip the copyright to our hardworking Murph and then volunteer to daily send the Evening Standard an update in her name, since she's so busy with the regular business of updating that incredibly wonderful site of hers. (Nan -- You work arduously on a project and then someone you don't even know, who can't bother to do any real in-depth research, pokes fun at you. Actually, I felt that she was poking fun at all us Colin obsessives, and just mentioned items from your site to underscore it. I agree with you Nan, except in the idea of doing research. She was quoting stuff from too many other recent articles to be accused of that (even if they were innaccurate the first time. ;-)) And I wanted to ask Murph, did that "Too much information" come from your site? I thought it was still up on Ellen's, but I don't think I have seen it on yours. I got the impression that she first found you via the links on the margin of ?The Telegraph? article, followed quite a few more links from you and others and was so overwhelmed by the result, she felt impelled send up us "Colin obsessives" because of the sheer force of numbers and variety -- that really impressed her (as it should!). :-) KJ

...I'm lower middleclass really... (Moon) Why does he insist on saying he is lower middle class? Colin, honey, lower middle class people work more than seven months out of a year;-)

On the internet, there is a countdown to Colin Firth's birthday. Murph, it may even not be your site.I found this a while ago. There are countdowns for every actor. http://www.fansites.com/countdown.cgi?1960,9,10,,,,Colin%20Firth%20Birthday (CF) I'm lower middle class really (Karen)Huh? Had no idea your class structure was that severe? How many million dollars/pounds does he need to make in a year to move up? (Evelyn)Colin, honey, lower middle class people work more than seven months out of a year;-) No offence, anyone, but this class thing has nothing to do with what his profession is or how much he earns.

lower middle class If his grandparents were clergymen and his dad went to public school and Cambridge, and he's the first one in generations not to go to university, then he's as middle-middle as you can get. The trouble is that in the UK (not in the States...what class is Bruce Willis?) actors are very much pigeon-holed by their perceived "class" and accent. And as CF says, most available roles at the moment are "cutting edge", real, ordinary bloke-ish (or for ex-soap stars, or twenty-something "relationships" dramas or gangster movies).....not many good acting opportunities at the barrister-aristo-Noel Coward end. Helena B-C recently made the same point...that her perceived "class" counts against her in casting. As slight touch of re-invention perhaps?

Pardon me, but "class" originated with professions/economics. You had upper class (nobles), middle (the shopkeepers--people in trade) and the lower classes. That's history. However, if Colin is referring to how he behaves IRL, as opposed to what class his parents were in, that's another story. what class is Bruce Willis? Who knows, who cares. Also, a huge distinction in the US is that people can better themselves. They are not forever tied to family origins. most available roles at the moment are "cutting edge", real, ordinary bloke-ish and is that why actors like Malcolm McDowell, Alex Kingston, Jude Law (and his crowd) are all in those films? They all speak Received Pronunciation. I do agree about Helena B-C. She is making a concerted effort to change her image and to be recognized as more versatile (more than Shakespeare or E.M. Forster).

(Gi)No offence, anyone, but this class thing has nothing to do with what his profession is or how much he earns (bethan).. and he's the first one in generations not to go to university, then he's as middle-middle as you can get. I don't want to belabor the point...(Bethan...he says lower middle class..not middle middle)...Gi no one said this has anything to do with his profession My Webster's dictionary says: lower class: a social class occupying a position below the middle class and having the lowest status in a society by virtue of a low material standard of living, social instability ,and a low level of personal ambition and aspiration esp. towards education Obviously, in different cultures, lower middle class has a different meaning.

sorry Obviously, in different cultures, lower middle class has a different meaning. That's my comment, not Danny Webster's.

One little bit of clarification, when I said Upper Classes, I probably shouldn't have termed them nobility. More a case of "not having to work for a living," instead one's land holdings (and investments) worked for you. Done with economic/social history.

When Colin says his origins are lower middle class and as Bethan said, If his grandparents were clergymen and his dad went to public school and Cambridge, and he's the first one in generations not to go to university, then he's as middle-middle as you can get. That is the point. He was referring to his origins, not his current status.

It is difficult for some Americans, such as myself, to grasp all the details of as class stratified a society as Great Britain.

Gaah! This discussion is going round in circles.

Who knows, who cares. Also, a huge distinction in the US is that people can better themselves. They are not forever tied to family origins. Nor are they in the UK. Lots of interesting discussions recently in the UK press about this. The most interesting observation I read is that class is the way the British define social differences between themselves. We are actually amongst the most fluid societies in the world though I think this fluidity has lessened in the last 20 years due to the sad state of our education system which has become a political football - IMHO of course! IMO Colin's family are middle middle. All his social hangups come from his education. There is something very wrong with our present education system. That is absolutely my last word on the subject on this board anyway!!!

Can we agree on this: Colin is a class of his own, whatever his origins? [No, I'm not trying to be clever, ..... ;.)) ]

http://www.firth.com/renate/cfwarhol.gif (Nan, do you remember?)

Ooops, I meant to post the pic, not the link: Would you believe it, I have forgotten how to do it! This was my first attempt at webdesign, the pic is from Nan: http://members.aol.com/rmmaier/cfwarhol.htm

http://members.aol.com/rmmaier/index.htm

Renate: Before getting teeth fixed. Great. Here he looks more like brother Jon.

(Renate) Nan, do you remember? Hell, yes :-D It was your first try with web design and my first with Photoshop. Then I became completely obsessed with my computer, quit my job, and went back to school...;-p Who knew this Colin thing would have such an impact, huh? I just liked the way he looked in his breeches ;-p You know, that picture is kind of cool. Wish I could remember how I did it.

(Nan) You know, that picture is kind of cool. I still like it very much myself: my fav Colin pic combined with those great colours. Wish you had the time again to play with photoshop - and Colin. ;-))

The MOB is still *officially* in preproduction: Spanish actress Ariadna Gil and Italy's Anna Galiena and Claudia Gerini have joined the cast of English-language comedy Off Key from Spanish production house Lolafilms. [...] The $9.8m film is one of four ambitious English-language pictures Lolafilms CEO Andres Vicente Gomez has in production right now. The others are: Susan Seidelman's Gaudi Afternoon, currently in post-production; The Dancer Upstairs, now shooting under debut director John Malkovich; and The Maid Of Buttermere, in pre-production.

Looking in my local Evening Paper tonight in "quotes of the day" section, there is a picture of Colin and the following quote "Americans make no distinction between English actors. We are all Prince Charles to them." Actor Colin Firth, famous for mr. Darcy role. YEEEOUCH!!! Anyone know the article it is from? If it's part of the recent RV publicity? The quote is not acknowledged, so I am relying on droolers. have to dash back to work.

Lizza, that quote was just in Friday's ES magazine.

Thanks Karen, must catch on Murph's.

The MOB is still *officially* in preproduction: That's a very good role - great acting potential (and he gets to wear a white shirt, get wet and ride a horse!). Hope it's still very much on. A friend of mine has just spent a few days at Crummock Water (about 2 miles from Buttermere). She said it's very busy at the moment. I wonder, if it goes ahead, if they'll actually shoot it there (it's very popular in July-August and the summer is over by September, makes location work difficult). Perhaps Buttermere can be re-located to the Italian lakes?!

Perhaps Buttermere can be re-located to the Italian lakes?! That is my territory. Great idea!

The Victoria Coren article is now online at the This is London (Evening Std) site: http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/dynamic/generic/bottom_review.html?in_review_id=289743&in_review_text_id=234635

....'that people characterised Fever Pitch as a big stretch, asking if I had to do a lot of research to transform myself into this middle-class football fan from North London. I was even wearing some of my own old clothes in the film! I remember folks on Drool picking up on this...the leather jacket??...when we were discussing "Fever Pitch"..and some theatre literati amongst us assured us that never happened;-) Now we have it from the man himself...

Now we have it from the man himself... Check out the vacuum cleaner photograph (okay I know none of you ever looks at paparazzi shots;-)). I am sure that is Paul Ashworth. Same clothes and hair and barber.

Anne R. read in a Spokane paper that Relative Values was shown at the Seattle Film Festival last weekend. You may recall that Colin won that Fest's Best Actor award in '88 for Apartment Zero. Wish that RV site would provide some Relevant data like this for a change, and preferably in advance!!:-(

Is that right? It isn't listed at the festival's website. Overseas is trying to sell it here. Wish that RV site would provide some Relevant data like this for a change, and preferably in advance!!:-( You tell'm, girl. There's supposed to be an online chat tomorrow, although absolutely no details are provided as to how or when.

Chiming in late as usual...thanks for posting the articles, ladies. Loved your comment, KJ: She [author Victoria what's-her-name] was quoting stuff from too many other recent articles to be accused of that [research](even if they were innaccurate the first time. ;-)) *sigh* Again we see evidence of how the press distorts things. She didn't do. her. effing. homework either, but wanted to impress readers with her internet savvy. I wish these authors wouldn't classify all CF's active fans as Darcy obsessives because we're not. We obsess about all his characters, though Darcy does hold a special place in our hearts. :-) As for the discussion about class: I appreciate the impact class has in different cultures. As for me, though, I'm *virtually brushing my fingers under my chin* A few comments about the Independent article: We meet in a dark, panelled room in Soho House, the London media haunt that could easily double up for a spot of costume drama. Unlike Mr Darcy, Firth lopes in, tanned Hope he hasn't already been to the Italian lakes, Moon. ;-) ...and casual, though the sideburns remain impressive. Note to Colin: if you want Mark Darcy to be "unique," rather than Darcy II, lose the sideburns (she says, too late). ...He is perfectly polite but has been doing interviews all day; the words "under" and "duress" hover in the gloom (outside the sky is bright blue), and the publicity woman is holding her watch like a stopwatch. Where was that writer from Horse and Hound Magazine? Mark? ;-) Also, Arsenal are playing in the Uefa Cup on telly in a couple of hours, and Firth, I later discover, is going to watch the match round at a friend's house. Hope he wasn't interrupted by any aliens from the Planet Zarg.

*hitting head against wall* Can't believe I missed this listing from Saturday's Seattle Times (was definitely not on Sunday). Of course, it would have to be Relative Values! ;-) 9:15 p.m. - Sneak preview. Another of the festival's mystery films.

Gee, Karen, you'd better get those peepers checked. Can't believe you missed it, either. 8-P

(Karen) 9:15 p.m. - Sneak preview. Another of the festival's mystery films. Well you *should* be contrite; that item was a dead giveaway.;-) Believe it or not, that was it: 9:15 p.m. The Egyptian: "Relative Values." This romantic comedy/period piece (circa 1954) is based on the Noel Coward play and stars Julie Andrews, Edward Atterton, William Baldwin, Colin Firth and Jeanne Tripplehorn. ***** Thanks for the ES and Independent pics, Murph. Yum. I am *very* fond of the Mark Darcy look! Hollywood Video is having a sale through June--previously-viewed copies of MLSF are going for $7.99 U.S.

I *might* have whined: "If you'd only let me know with a little warning... ", but, come to think of it, I'm not so sure I'd take the 2.5 hr. drive (each way) for a night showing ... Just as well I wasn't put to the test, possibly resulting in severe guilt feelings questioning the level of my faithfullness to ODB.

Nothing about Colin, but here are Iain Dale's comments about the proposed new Blair movie. I'm sure they are funnier to you ladies on the other side. ;-) So the BBC are making a political drama based around Tony Blair's rise to power. The casting should be interesting. I wonder if I might be so bold as to make the following suggestions. I think Simon Callow would do a brilliant Gordon Brown, while the role of Peter Mandelson is so obviously made for Dale Winton. Tony Blair is more difficult. Jerry Springer was my first thought - after all, he's all show and no substance too, but then I hit on Hugh Grant as they both have a somewhat hesitant style of speech, although Tony's oral problems cannot of course be compared to Hugh's - if you get my drift. Prescott would be done brilliantly by Bernard Manning, while Stephen Byers is ready-made for the bloke who plays Ashley on Coronation Street. The words 'lettuce', 'leaf' and 'limp' all come to mind. For obvious reasons, Robin Cook would have to play himself. Feel free to email me (iain.dale@politicos.co.uk) for further suggestions on this and also the casting for any future film on the current Tory Party. What a bl ckbuster that would be...

Karen's pic accompanying the ES article are great....and don't forget to run your mouse over the "Prince Charles" picture.....hee, hee...almost missed it...

Tony Blair is more difficult. Totally ignored CF. That is not good. I think Jeremy Irons should play him. I find lots os similarities between the two, much more so than CF. Maybe they could add a scene and have Bridget interview her luuvy Blair. ;-)

I think the "casting" for the Blair drama is very tongue in cheek....half of those suggested aren't even actors! Isn't Bernard Manning deceased? Blazingly hot day here todaay...ideal for any outside location shots for BJD. Saw a photo of RZ on set with Jim Carrey...she was smoking a "fag" and looked plump-ish, wearing heavy overcoat. The weather reminds me of something. Ages ago you asked me, Ann, whether I watched MLSF in solitary splendour. It was a pretty miserable sort of day...raining, dull...and the film theatre (admittedly not big) was actually more or less full. Weaher does impact on audiences. BTW, I would be very grateful if anyone could give the alert when MLSF is out on video in the UK, as I definitely want to watch it again. I am not ringing up about this (or anything else!) as I think I give off bad vibes and never get good/accurate news! :-) :-( Finally, look forward to hearing about the RV premiere, Ann! I do so hope that RV isn't going to be another "London only" release. It's not going to be showing at our local Showcase or Warner (we're getting "Next Best Thing", "Deception", "Chill Factor" and Simon Says". Thrills!!) This is not exactly a backwater (third largest city in UK, major university city, lagest rep theatre, home of Northern Opera and Ballet, etcetera) but it's a veritable CF desert! Finally, finally, to put Box Office figures in perspective, Minnie Driver and David Duchovny's "Return to me" opened in 250 theatres, took just over �200,000, in a week and Ewan McGregor's latest (200 theatres) took �100,000. Only a few movies really make it over here (lousy weather helps!)

Oh dear! v.v. bad (shield your eyes, premiere-going ladies)...from The Scotsman, a short review of Relative Values: Relative Values (PG) Director: Eric Styles Starring: Julie Andrews, William Baldwin, Colin Firth Two-second summary: Limp adaptation of Noel Coward's Anglo-American culture clash comedy. Even if you are someone for whom the exact appeal of Julie Andrews has remained uncompellingly obscure, you may still feel some minor shiver of outrage that she has been persuaded once more into active service for this dog. That said, it's not as if she actually does any work. A profoundly unengaging Noel Coward adaptation, Relative Values is a country-house class farce set in the early 1950s. To the alarm of blue-bloodedly proper but nice with it Lady Something (Andrews), her son Nigel (Edward Atterton) has taken up with vulgar Hollywood movie starlet Miranda Frayle (Jeanne Tripplehorn). Colin Firth, looking about 70, lounges around the edges of scenes as the gay cousin who spouts one-liners in response to anything anyone says and Stephen Fry lends support in the Stephen Fry-butler role. Why did anyone think this was worth spending money, let alone time on?

I think the "casting" for the Blair drama is very tongue in cheek Didn't I mention at the outset that it was supposed to be funny? We're wondering here whether the reference to Hugh Grant/Tony Blair "oral problems" is halting speech or the TB's halitosis mentioned in the Vanity Fair article??? MLSF is out on video in Australia. Surely it can be mailordered. Perhaps Cathey or AnneH could find out the details.

(Eileen) I wish these authors wouldn't classify all CF's active fans as Darcy obsessives because we're not. We obsess about all his characters, though Darcy does hold a special place in our hearts. :-) LOL! Very true... (Karen)Nothing about Colin, but here are Iain Dale's comments about the proposed new Blair movie. I'm sure they are funnier to you ladies on the other side. ;-) Very funny indeed :-)

(Bethann) Blazingly hot day here todaay I don't believe it--what is it about 79F. Here it is 108F--try that for blazingly hot. (Karen)Colin Firth, looking about 70, lounges around the edges of scenes as the gay cousin who spouts one-liners in response to anything anyone says and Stephen Fry lends support in the Stephen Fry-butler role. Ouchhhh!

Not new, but I get never tired to read Colin's praise ;-). Sorry if this has been posted before. --------- http://www.ams.ubc.ca/media/citr/discord/jun98/vphilter.html Newly on the shelves is one of the 1997 festival�s most crowd-pleasing efforts, Fever Pitch. The story that many a Vancouver hockey fan could easily relate to centres on a 30-ish, laid-back teacher whose defining personality trait is his love for the game of soccer in general and, specifically, his devotion to the Arsenal team. As this is a time in history when Arsenal was not exactly a football powerhouse, he has learned to live with suffering. Into his life walks (primly erect) a female co-worker with whom he begins an �opposites-attract� relationship, despite her ignorance of and dislike for his life�s passion. Following the true events of the 1988/89 English football season and intercut with flashbacks that give insight into the origins of a true fan, the film�s romantic story mirrors Arsenal�s rocky road to the championship. A successful romantic/sports comedy is hard to pull off; a delicate balance between the lovey-dovey and jock elements must be tempered with a good sense of humour about both. Though Fever Pitch does occasionally fall into the dumb-plot trap of pitting the uptight female who�s looking to �nest� against the slobbish, easy-going sports nut who doesn�t want to be �tied down,� its willingness to poke fun at itself with an honest, self-depreciating wit gives it a likeability that most Hollywood pictures in this vein don�t have. It helps that, in place of the de rigour-in-the-USA Kevin Costner, we get the charming and affable Colin Firth. ---------- BTW, Fever Pitch will be in German TV next week, June 22.

Hmmm, somehow I don't think that the RV website will be posting that Scotsman review in their "press coverage" section.;-) Does anyone know if The Scotsman ever ran a review of MLSF? I recall checking there a few times and didn't see anything; was just wondering how it was reviewed in Scotland.

Yes, it did. v. lukewarm review; not scathing like this one. Go back to read here: http://www.spring.net/yapp-bin/restricted/read/drool/129.1108

(Iain Dale) Tony's oral problems cannot of course be compared to Hugh's (Karen) We're wondering here whether the reference to Hugh Grant/Tony Blair "oral problems" is halting speech or the TB's halitosis mentioned in the Vanity Fair article??? Hee hee! When one reads the words "oral" and "Hugh Grant" in the same sentence, it is undoubtedly a reference of divine nature. If you get my drift ;-) (nasty review) Colin Firth, looking about 70 Wonder if the author has seen any real 70-year olds lately...

(nasty review) Colin Firth, looking about 70 I dunno...in this pic he almost looks like 17 or 27! ;-) Bring on those septugenarians. Yi-haaaa!!!

I think someone needs their eyes testing...or do I detect a slight hint of malice? How to strangle a movie at birth. "Looking 70" probably means wearing a decent suit and polished shoes. I've found a couple of good movie sites....they may be familiar, but if not, try them out. http://www.filmworld.co.uk Completely UK focused...check out Coming Attractions for details of RV http://www.film.com US/UK Has Search facility Has a very perceptive review for MLSF (which vastly exceeds anything written about it in the UK...especially the last paragraph) http://www.film.com/film-review/1999/13097/23/default-review.html

... Relative Values is a country-house class farce set in the early 1950s... I want a cognoscenti to tell me the difference between this "English-country-house" film about the life of the rich..servants,scenery etc. and MLSF.Which at least had Irene Jacob. Of course no one has seen it yet...so you can wait til then. (And I'm not even mentioning the class stuff..so don't slap me with it. OK?

Dame Julie Andrews is on The Arts Programme with Sheridan Morely Radio2 next Friday, 23rd June, at 10.30pm., same day as RV goes on general release.

It would be extremely difficult to find a copy of MLSF, I live somewhat in the sticks, and although I have rented MLSF and copied it - it is an extremely poor copy and wouldn't recommend it to any one - anti-copy I suppose, I intend to wait until the local video store sells it. If I ever find it on sale I will certainly let you know.

The Times Metro section had this: COMING SOON... Cuba Gooding Jnr and Skeet Ulrich in Chill Factor; Bette Midler and John Cleese in Isn't She Great and William Baldwin and Colin Firth in Relative Values.

The Times Metro section had this: That's recognition of a kind...given that there seem to be about 10 movies opening next week, including Madonna's latest and Ben Affleck's. Metro is aimed at the twenty something reader (I guess) and normally highlights three movies. Obviously Julie Andrews is not cool enough for a mention!

There's a television news story from Wales about Relative Values up at the site that you can watch. It shows a number of clips from the movie: http://www.relative-values.com/multimedia/htvstory.html You'll laugh when you hear what they compare it to. ;-)

I can see clips from the film (can't wait to see Marshwood House;-) but audio is not clear. Pray tell...what is RV compared to?Don't tell me it My Life with a Dog that's what they compared MLSF to....

Hm, quiet here these days. Guess it's a well-deserved break. A question to the collective memory: does anyone recall which paper/site published the labrador/volvo article, and where I can find it?

Wasn't it a short item in the Tatler which had spoken to the staff at the box office?

(From the RV website) Eric Styles, the director, has been answering questions. Here's one in which he mentions Colin: Q: How long did it take to bring Relative Values to the big-screen? What other projects are you working on? Do you have plans to work with any of the RV cast again? A: When I came on board the project it took about year to assemble the cast and for our Producer Chris to raise the finance. This is pretty quick as far as feature films go. I have a number of projects in developement with Chris, mostly written by our writing partner Catherine Linstrum, who wrote "Dreaming of Joseph Lees" - she is a wonderful writer and I looking forward to working with her again. I don't like to say too much about future projects until they're ready to go ito production. I really enjoyed working with the whole cast of Relative Values and would jump at the chance of working with any of them again. A lot of the actors demostrate a fabulous versatility in our film, Jeanne plays a really interesting fallable character, Colin experiments with the more usual exprectations for him as a strong leading man and Sophie steals the whole show for me - but again we were very lucky to be able to assemble a whole cast of hardworking generous actors - and that certainly makes my job a lot more fun.

Julie Andrews is interviewed by Jonathon Ross about RV on Film2000 (Thursday) and Jeanne Tripplehorn is on Woman's Hour (Tuesday). There's also an ad for RV in today's Sunday Telegraph, on the editorial page, so it does catch the eye. Possibly other papers as well?

Yes, there is another ad. in The Sunday Times, with a quote from the Daily Mail.